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HomeKit Weekly: The ultimate HomeKit survival kit for dorm life

When I was in college, smart home technology was still something that was super futuristic. Today, that’s changed a lot. If I were starting college today, though, I’d bring a few HomeKit items to make dorm life more comfortable and functional. Between cramped desks, bad overhead lighting, and shared everything, a little automation can go a long way. Whether it’s turning off lights from bed or checking if your fan’s still running, here’s what I’d pack today if I were heading off to campus.

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Apple’s chip deal with Samsung is great news for future iPhones

Apple's chip deal with Samsung is great news for future iPhones | iPhone render with 'iPhone 18' wording in liquid glass

One of the bullet points in Apple’s announcement of its increased US manufacturing spend made a big, but very non-specific, claim. Apple said that it was working with Samsung on an “innovative new technology which has never been used before anywhere in the world.”

Although the company was being mysterious, we likely know what that means – and it’s great news not just for the iPhone 18, but also for future iPhones beyond it …

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Deals: iPad mini 7 $120 off from $379, black Magic Mouse, M4 iPad Pro, Mac mini, and more

Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is finishing the week off with the return of all-time low pricing across the latest iPad mini 7 lineup at $120 off with deals starting from $379 shipped. Those offers join the new all-time lows on the M3 iPad Air lineup at $150 off – the best price ever offered on Apple’s most affordable current-gen M series iPad – as well as $200 off the least pricey M4 iPad Pro, and a rare deal on the black USB-C Apple Magic Mouse. But with the massive Apple deal week event now live, there’s a whole lot more than that waiting down below. 

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macOS Tahoe put your apps in icon jail? Here’s the fix

macOS 26 Tahoe

Yesterday I highlighted macOS Tahoe’s aggressive behavior of putting nonconforming app icons inside an ugly gray box of shame. The change seems to affect the Mac user experience more than it impacts the app developer. It makes the actual icon 20% smaller and 80% harder to recognize.

A great thing about the Mac, though, is the ability to customize app icons. This can be a temporary solution. You just need to track down an app icon that works. Here’s how to swap out app icons on macOS Tahoe and avoid the gray box effect.

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Three new ways to customize your macOS Tahoe 26

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macOS Tahoe 26 gives your Mac a significant redesign, headlined by the new Liquid Glass design language. The update also brings new ways to personalize your Mac, with new icon tinting features, menu bar customization, and more.

Here’s how these new customization options work.

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